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1. To prepare the chicken, position the broiler rack or a baking sheet 4 to 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the broiler. You can cover the rack or baking sheet with aluminum foil to speed cleanup. Massage the oil into the breasts, then season them with salt and pepper. Lay them on the heated rack or baking sheet and broil for 6 minutes, or until browned. Turn, then broil for about 6 more minutes, or until cooked through but still moist. Alternatively, grill them over medium-high heat or medium-high-heat coals for 12 minutes, turning once.

2. Cool the chicken breasts at room temperature for 5 minutes, then slice them into thin strips. Place the strips in a large serving bowl. Toss with the shallot, bell pepper, cucumber, peanuts, and cilantro. Add the noodles and toss.

3. To make the dressing, whisk the tahini, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and Tabasco sauce in a medium bowl until uniform. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss gently, then serve immediately.

NOTES: You can use a mandoline to slice a shallot paper thin. Hold the shallot with the gripping device and run it smoothly across the cutting blade, adjusted to a paper-thin setting.

Tahini is a paste made from untoasted sesame seeds. It’s available in many supermarkets and most health food stores. It’s best to buy it in clear jars, rather than cans, so you can see how fresh it is. It should look rusty beige, not a blackened brown, and be smooth, not grainy. To preserve its freshness, store tahini, covered, in the refrigerator for up to a year. If the oil separates from the paste, stir with a wooden spoon to reincorporate.

CURRIED TUNA STUFFED TOMATOES makes 2 stuffed tomatoes

These are not your mother’s stuffed tomatoes. But her bridge club would certainly be envious of this light lunch or dinner, the tuna seasoned with curry powder for kick and studded with cashews, cranberries, and fresh ginger. Stuffed tomatoes are the perfect meal when you’d rather not turn on the oven.

2 tablespoons roughly chopped unsalted cashews

One 6-ounce can water-packed tuna, drained (and rinsed, if desired)

1 small celery rib, minced

1 small scallion, white part only, minced

3 tablespoons mayonnaise (regular, low-fat, or nonfat)

2 tablespoons dried cranberries or dried cherries

1½ teaspoons curry powder

½ teaspoon peeled, minced fresh ginger

¼ teaspoon salt

2 large tomatoes (about 12 ounces each)

1. Toast the chopped cashews in a small, dry skillet set over low heat for about 3 minutes, until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Cool, then place them in a medium bowl. Stir in the tuna, celery, scallion, mayonnaise, cranberries, curry powder, ginger, and salt. Set aside.

2. Cut a small slice from the bottom of each tomato so it will stand up on a plate. Turn them over and core each by making a ½-inch-deep well around the remnants of the stem with a paring knife; continue enlarging that hole with the paring knife until the tomato is cored. Use a spoon to scoop out some of the flesh, removing flesh and seeds about halfway down the inside, but leaving a ¼-inch wall around the sides.

3. Stuff each with half of the curried tuna mixture. Serve immediately; or store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

SEAFOOD SALAD makes 2 servings

Don’t let the number of ingredients put you off: this salad is as trouble-free as it is elegant. The shrimp and scallops cook in no time, the lump crabmeat is ready-to-eat when purchased, and the rest of the preparation involves cutting up the vegetables and whisking up an easy dressing. In the end, you’ll have a fresh, light shellfish salad with orange sections and avocado slices, all dressed with a peppery vinaigrette.

1 small shallot, minced

2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon lime juice (the juice of about 1 small lime)

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

2 dashes Tabasco sauce, or to taste

4 ounces small shrimp